


heartlines

by chesamu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 11:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11080497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chesamu/pseuds/chesamu
Summary: we only get the one lifeand i wanna feel your heartlines-broodswritten for a friend <3





	heartlines

He only ever seems to fuck up when he’s around her.

And holding Allura in his arms now — armor battered, her arm around his shoulders, her fingers pulling a bit at his hair — Keith can only see himself fucking up again.

Allura looks up at him through the opened visor of her helmet, and says something as he carries her out of the Red Lion and into the castle’s hangar. But her mouth is far too close, and Keith can feel the warmth of her sugary voice on his neck.

"What?" he replies, somewhat impatiently. He narrows his brows and refocuses. He tries to think about all of the information he needs to relate to the team at their next meeting — now that he and the Princess are back from their reconnaissance — and to take his mind off of … well. Wherever it’d been wandering just then.

"Pidge must have returned before us," Allura repeats herself. "Her pod, see?" She points. "Also, you may let me down now."

"Oh." Keith lets her down to the hangar floor. Allura winces a bit as she stands. She hands Keith his helmet, which she’d been carrying against her chest.

"How’s your leg?" he asks.

Allura balances herself and smiles grimly. "Nothing a healing patch won't fix."

She again inspects her thigh, where a strip of her armor had been torn away and her skin beneath it had been scraped up, a bloody mess. "Not the most attractive wound, but it will heal."

Keith frowns. "I’m so sorry you got hurt, Allura."

Allura gives him a funny look. "You say that as if this were your doing. It is a war, Keith. And I am just as capable of getting injured as the rest of you, you know." There is a mischievous glint in her eye. "Anyway. Let us hurry and report back to the group. They are likely to be worried for us—ah!" After taking just one step, Allura faintly cries out in pain.

Keith catches her by the waist before she falls over. Allura holds onto his shoulder.

"You sure you wanna walk?" he asks. "The control room is like, a walk and an elevator ride away."

Allura pouts. "Yes," she assures him. "Just, um." She looks at Keith. "Assist me?"

Keith avoids her eyes and nods. He puts his helmet back on and firmly supports Allura, his hand at the small of her back, as she holds on to his side. Allura limps her way onto the hangar lift with Keith's help, and then leans against the inner walls.

She turns up her nose the moment Keith hits the controls. "Well. It is a good thing we are even now."

Keith looks up from the elevator’s control panel. "What?"

Allura peeks an eye at him. "You assisted me to the lift. You are now forgiven for the loss of our space pod."

Keith stares at her. "What? How is it my fault this time we lost the pod?"

Allura crosses her arms. "Well. You were flying it, were you not?"

"Allura, you hit the eject button mid flight." Keith mirrors her arm position.

"Excuse me, but you’re the one who suggested that it might have been the turret controls. And that doesn’t absolve your responsibility as the ship’s pilot."

"Okay, but it’s your pod? Shouldn’t you be the one to know how it works?"

"Not if I’m more accustomed to sitting in the back seating than I am the front? I had never co-piloted before I met you."

Before Keith can reply to that, the lift stops at their floor. The door opens. And Keith allows Allura to lean against him again.

"Well. You are the one who got hurt. So yeah, I guess we are even." There’s no longer a teasing hint to his voice.

Allura notices. And she’s about to say something else, when Hunk calls to them from up the hallway.

"Hey, you guys are back!" He's walking in their direction carrying a large crate of wires and tools and metallic parts. "Woah, but you guys are super beat up..." he adds, noticing Keith’s scraped up face, and their battered action suits.

"Well. We were sent on a mission to an active volcanic planet," Keith reminds him.

"Moon," Allura corrects.

"Moon," Keith repeats.

"I know, Shiro was getting so worried, man. You weren’t answering your comms! — Oh no, Allura your leg! Are you okay!?" Hunk nearly sets down his crate and comes over to help, but Allura raises her hand.

"I’m fine, Hunk," she assures him, gratefully. "We got into a little bit of trouble and our comm links seem to have short circuited. But we made it home, all is well."

Hunk looks relieved to hear her say she's alright more than anything. "Hmm. Here, put your helmets in with this stuff." Hunk nods to his crate of parts.  "And I’ll fix them up for you — wait what kind of trouble?"

"Bounty hunters," Keith says simply. He and Allura remove their helmets and drop them into Hunk’s crate. "Thanks."

"Bounty hunters!?" Hunk exclaims. "Damn. Shiro is gonna flip, you guys. That was just supposed to be a harmless recon mission! So glad you’re both home and safe."

"Yeah, could you ... maybe not tell Shiro the part about the bounty hunters?" Keith asks Hunk. "Don’t want him to start worrying about us going on missions together again."

Allura nods. "Yes. Shiro has this idea that we’re only ever destructive as a pair it seems. Which, is completely untrue?"

Keith nods as well. "Yeah, yeah. Completely untrue."

Hunk looks from Keith to Allura to Keith again. "M’kay. But you guys know I suck at keeping secrets…"

"We know you’ll do your best," Keith tells him confidently. "Thanks Hunk. Okay, I have to get Allura to the med room."

Allura responds by leaning against Keith's side again. And he holds her close.

"Alright," Hunk says, walking past them. Then he turns to face them again, walking backwards for a bit. "Oh, Allura! Pidge has been like, really excited to show you something since she got back. She’s still waiting for you in the lab, but I’ll tell her she can find you in the med room."

Allura gasps, turning around and making Keith turn with her. "Oh! It must be because she tested the new mod on her Lion!"

"Oh cool!" Hunk replies, turning on his feet. "Alright. See you space Princess."

"Ah!! I cannot wait to see it!" Allura tells Keith, her eyes brightening as she hops back around. "Let’s move quickly Keith! I must be fully healed as soon as possible."

Keith walks a bit faster, by her request. But then he stops. "Quickly? Well alright. As you request, Princess." He dips her a bit, and then lifts Allura into his arms.

Allura yelps in surprise, but continues to hold on to Keith as he cradles her. He’s gentle, keeping her injury in mind.

She looks at him, brows raised. And then she pouts. "Hmph. Next time you get an injury, I am carrying you around the castle just to embarrass you."

Keith smirks. Looks back at her. "Yeah? I look forward to it."

Allura rolls her eyes, and looks away. But then she laughs a bit, and lets herself fall against Keith as he carries her the rest of the way to the med room.

 

✧ 

 

He only ever seems to forget how to speak when he’s around her.

And as Allura walks into the castle’s dining room, to join the team for breakfast, Keith is frustrated that he’s the only one who can’t seem to think of anything to say.

"M’lady," Lance says smoothly, pulling out a chair for her across the table from Keith. 

Allura laughs, tying up her billowing, silvery curls into a high ponytail. "Thank you, _my chivalrous Knight_ ," she jests back, sitting down in the seat Lance has chosen for her, which is the chair right beside his own. 

"Allura!" Pidge exclaims, taking off her headphones and popping up in her seat once she notices the Princess. "Later, you gotta see my latest design! It’s a space pod for the mice! You wanna help me with the fits again? Exoskeleton engineering is my strength, but you’re seriously the best when it comes to stylistic elements."

Allura raises her brows and nods excitedly at Pidge, her mouth full of space pancakes. "Mmmh!!" she agrees, wholeheartedly.

Pidge smiles brightly. "Nice!"

After swallowing, Allura then turns to Hunk, who is reading something off of a holodisc through a microscope by his plate.

"Hunk ... these are delicious? Quite professional. Well done," she tells him.

Hunk smiles triumphantly.

"Why thank you, Princess. I call them _Planet Cakes_. Kinda sounds like pancakes, but you know. Space themed."

"'Planet Cakes' sounds literally nothing like 'pancakes' Hunk," Lance tells him.

Shiro looks down at his plate of Coran's cooking. And then he looks over at the younger paladins’ breakfast.

"Ah, Hunk. Let the team leader try some of those Planet Cakes, huh?" he requests, nodding toward the Yellow Paladin.

"Sorry Shiro…" Hunk tells him sadly. "Coran ordered me not to interfere with your strict team leader diet."

"Yes, I did!" Coran says, waltzing into the room with more utensils, and standing over Shiro. "So eat up, Takashi. We need you to stay healthy and strong if you are to go up against Zarkon again any time soon!"

Shiro grimaces as Coran hands him a fork. "Thanks Coran…" he mutters.

Allura laughs a bit. Then her attention falls on Keith, sitting across the table from her. "Good morning, Keith." She smiles at him.

Keith realizes he’s just been staring at her. He grips his breakfast knife tightly in his fist, and feels the blood rush to his ears. "Oh, hey Allura. Morning."

"Hey babe," Lance starts, before Keith even finishes greeting her. "Wanna hit the training deck after eating? I still wanna try that new move you showed me."

Allura turns away from Keith to raise an eyebrow at Lance. Then she smirks. "Why, of course darling." She waves her fork at him. "You do have quite a bit of improving to do if you are ever to be as kickass as Yours Truly on the battlefield." 

They have been talking like this to each other for weeks now. Instead of Lance making 'partical barrier' jokes whenever Allura walked into the room, his flirting has become much nicer and more playful. He had a breakthrough a while ago, apparently. And everyone’s glad to see it. Even Allura seems more at ease.

It is still weird seeing her flirt back though, Keith thinks. Even if they are only joking.

Lance laughs a bit. Then he and Allura continue to quip while the table eats and chats comfortably, thankful to simply take a breather after days of endless warfare.

Pidge turns to Keith at one point to talk about some ideas she has for the Red Lion, and he rests his chin in his hand, listening to her infodump. He actually really likes to hear Pidge talk — when he isn't in a rush to do something else anyway. He and Allura have that in common. Keith has never been very book-smart. But Pidge is just plain old common-sense-smart. As well as a total and a literal genius. Never pretentious. Never condescending. Always brilliant.

But then Lance says something that makes Allura laugh so hard, she’s gripping Lance’s shoulder and snorting a little in between twinkly little giggles.

Keith doesn’t look at them, but Pidge does. She asks them to share the joke, so Lance repeats it for the rest of the group.

Keith just silently and slowly stabs at his food with his knife.

He thinks he liked it better when Lance and Allura didn’t get along so well.

But that wasn’t thinking like a Paladin.

 

✧ 

 

Keith only seems to think about her when she's not around. And it's starting to be more than obvious.

Sparring with Shiro on the training deck now, Keith can’t seem to stop his mind from wandering.

His thoughts are all over the place.

From how high the stakes have become, to Red and Pidge's new upgrades, to how impossibly relieved he is that Shiro is back, to his mothe and the Blade of Marmora ... to Allura’s crystalline eyes and her sparkly laugh to match ... to Zarkon and how he'd told him he fights like a Galra soldier ... back to Allura again, and her new magical powers she told him about ... she's amazing ... and the way she knew all the right things to say when he thought he might die without Shiro ... she's so intelligent and understanding ... and the way her blue eyes seem to frost over when she’s angry ... but soften to an entirely different shade when she —

— Shiro knocks away Keith's bayard and flips Keith over, causing the younger paladin to land flatly on his back against the floor.

Keith grimaces. After a second, he pushes himself back up. And feels his jaw.

"You're getting a lot better, Kashi. Really nailed me there," he mutters at Shiro, wiping the spit knocked from his teeth off his lip. That’s his thing. Talking down to his friend whenever he knows Shiro has him beat. He’d done that since he was much littler and Shiro could beat him at everything.

Shiro reaches down with his non-galra hand and helps Keith to his feet. "You seem a bit distracted," he observes. He starts to say something else, but then he pauses.

"Everything okay?" he asks Keith instead.

Keith ducks his eyes. Shiro has this annoying way of being able to tell he’s upset even when he doesn't want him to notice. He dusts off his shirt. Goes to get his bayard again. "Yeah?" He shrugs. "You just got a lucky hit. That’s all, man."

"That was your signature move," Shiro points out. "Surprised it worked on you."

Keith picks up his bayard. Shrugs again. "Okay? It happens. I dunno. I mess up."

Shiro gives him a look ... and Keith knows he’s not just going to let this slide. So Keith braces himself for another cringe worthy Big Bro Commander Shirogane lecture.

"Alright," Keith says, before Shiro can even start. "Why don’t we just skip to the part where you tell me what you think is wrong, and I assure you that it's not, but you keep on insisting that you’re right anyway."

Shiro ignores the snark. "How are things going between you and the Princess?" he asks Keith. Straightforward as always. 

Keith feels a heat rise up the back of his neck. "What? I don't know. Why?"

"Things were pretty rocky last time I asked ... but you both seem to have resolved things well enough."

"Yeah ... things are fine. We worked that all out. Back before you were even ... you know. So it's fine. It's all fine." He shrugs again.

Shiro starts to stretch and wind down. "Okay. How about we skip to the part where you stop trying to convince me everything is fine, and you tell me what’sactually going on so that I can help you."

Keith sighs exasperatedly. He swings his bayard around. "Fine."

"Great," Shiro says. "So what’s the deal with you and the Princess? And yes, it is my business as your leader to know what’s going on. I can’t have anyone needlessly distracted while we’re out there fighting galactic tyranny."

"That sure was a mouthful just to say you're nosy."

Shiro frowns at him.

"Alright. Alright." Keith sighs again. "I don’t know. What do you want me to say Shiro? I mean, since we’re skipping all the small talk, why don’t you just tell me?" God, this was awkward.

"Well ... are you still worried that she hates you? She doesn't, you know"

"No. Yeah, I know. Allura’s really nice."

"She is really nice."

"Yeah," Keith agrees. "The nicest." Keith swings his bayard a little harder. "The fuckin nicest of them all."

"Do you think she's ... I don’t know, pretty?"

Keith growls under his breath. "Pretty Shiro? Really?" 

"Look, I don’t know what the kids are calling it these days alright," Shiro says. As if he's not merely seven years older than Keith himself. "It's a yes or no question, Keith."

Keith crosses his arms. "Whatever. Yes? Yeah. I mean she is. Obviously." 

"Thank you. See how easy that is?"

"This entire conversation is literally the painful opposite of easy." Shiro wasn't his father. He wasn't even really his brother. Keith sometimes wishes Shiro didn't feel so obliged to act like either figure in his life. Even if he needed it sometimes.

"It won't be if you'd just cooperate." Shiro smiles at him, and then stretches an arm across his chest. "Look ... It’s okay to like the Princess, Keith."

Keith growls a little louder this time. "Shut up? No. It’s not." 

"It isn’t?"

"No."

Shiro frowns. "Can I ask why not?"

"Isn't it obvious, Shiro? It’s because she's the fuckin nicest of them all." Keith paces. "And I’m ... the fuckin' worst."

Shiro prepares to get into plank position, but then he looks up at Keith. "Oh, c'mon. You're far from the fuckin' worst, Keith."

"You're right. I'm the worst of the fuckin' worst," Keith mutters. 

"Not even close." Shiro stands back up. "Look. Keith, it's not like you've never dated before." He thinks. "Hey, remember when you had a crush on that curly haired boy in middle school? You thought he hated you too."

"God ... you're not seriously bringing that up right now."

"And I told you you should ask him to the dance anyway. And what did you do?"

"Shiro, I literally don't want to remember middle school. Not now. Not ever. Just shut up, okay. I get it."

"What did you do Keith?"

Keith crosses his arms again. Pouting even more. "God, I hate this. I asked him."

"And what did he say, Keith?"

Keith sighs. "He said. He said he'd been hoping I'd ask him out first."

"Because why?"

"Because ... he really liked me too. But he was too afraid to make the first move. Or, I dunno, something like that. Okay? There I said it. And then he moved. And now I’m having painful flashbacks. So thanks, a lot."

"We can always talk about those later."

"Look. I know where you're going with this okay." Keith lowers his voice, practically begging him to stop. "But I'm not going to tell Allura how I feel, Shiro. Or ask her if she likes me. Or be happier once I know for sure, whatever her answer is, because at least then I’ll know and that is always better than not knowing or ... or whatever."

"Well, why not?"

"Because?" Keith raises his arms in the way he does when he's exasperated. "Because I don't want to. So give it a rest, man."

Shiro kneels to plank again. "Can't say I didn't try."

 

✧ 

 

Keith is always around when she needs him, but rarely ever when Allura merely wants him.

And though spending time relaxing with her Yellow, Blue, and Green Paladins is one of Allura's favorite things to do when there is not much else to distract her during her darker days — she hasn't seen Keith since breakfast. Or talked to him much at all today.

"Do any of you know where Keith could be hiding?" she asks Hunk, Lance, and Pidge. Her fellow teens barely look at her. They are all sitting in the dining room, the three of them playing another Earth video game.

"Keith?" That's Lance. He hears Allura say Keith's name, but his focus is still entirely on the holographic Human driving a four wheeled vehicle on the holoscreen. "Mmm, nope. The guy just kinda disappears after lunch, anyone else notice that? Unless we have a mission or something he just … goes ghost. OOOH YES BABY! I'm in second place! Look out now!"

"Maybe he's just not into video games?" That’s Pidge. "Oh! Come on Hunk! A blue shell? Really?"

"Hey, that’s just how the game is played," Hunk tells her. "Don’t blame me, blame the code. Yeah I have no clue, Allura."

Pidge grumbles something and remains focused. Allura had been playing the game with them for a while. But she grew bored after winning every race. Earth games are far too easy for her liking. And her attention span has always been too short to enjoy anything for very long anyway. She sits at the dining table, resting her chin in her hands, and letting her mind wander.

She thinks briefly about how lonely the castle used to feel, her whole life growing up. She never had this many peers over at one time before the War unless her family was hosting a ball or a festival.

She starts to think about her father, what he'd think of these Earthlings kicking their feet up on all of their furniture like she and him used to whenever her Mother was away, but refuses.

Then her thoughts move on to Haggar. And Allura wonders what the witch's life must have been like back then as well.

But the thought makes her stomach turn, and so her focus falls onto her finger nails. They look so cute, she thinks, painted with glittery pink polish, against her deep brown skin. And she remembers suddenly what it feels like to hold onto someone's hands in the dead of space. Where there is no up or down. Left or right.

And Keith is on her mind again.

Keith always seems to be on the training deck when she walks by, she thinks out of no where. He has been overworking himself lately. Training with his magical dagger. Sword fighting. Sweating.

Allura thinks … she might as well check and see if he's there now.

Maybe chance will be on her side again.

She stands up, adjusting her lacy pajama top and matching shorts, and throws her hair over her shoulder. The Yellow, Blue, and Green Paladins barely notice. 

"I will go see if he wishes to join us," she tells them.

Only Hunk hums a soft 'okay' as Allura walks out of the room.

Allura adjusts her hair as she makes her way to the training deck. She tries putting it all into a bun, and then into a braid of sorts. She's so preoccupied with her hair in fact, that she nearly runs into Shiro as she turns the corner.

"Oh-!" she nearly trips over her slippers, as Shiro steps out of her way. 

But Shiro easily catches the younger girl by the shoulder. "Easy, Princess," he says.

"Oh, Shiro," Allura says, as he lets her go.

"Someone in trouble?" he asks, noticing the nervous look on her face.

"Oh. No, everyone is fine, I ... was just walking too quickly ... I sometimes like to take brisk walks through the castle. At night. For sport." She looks over Shiro’s shoulder, at the doors to the training room.

"Ah," Shiro says, following her eyes. "You looking for Keith?"

"Hm?" Allura raises her brows. "Oh, no. No. Not really. Though ... hm. Now that you mention Keith. Where has he gone? I have not seen him all day. He has not run off somewhere again, has he?"

"Well, I couldn't tell you exactly where he is. But Keith hit the showers twenty minutes or so ago. You might catch him in the rec room if you need him for something."

Allura nods. "Hmm. Alright." She shrugs. "Thank you for the insight. I do not need him for anything, but. It is good to know these things if I am going to lead properly, you know. I must, um. You know. Keep track of our teammates whereabouts."

Shiro smiles faintly. "As any good leader should, Princess. Oh, but if you see Keith, tell him he left his bayard on the deck," he adds.

"Oh, alright! Yes! I will do that," Allura tells Shiro as she departs.

 

✧

 

Keith throws his towel over his damp hair, gazing absentmindedly at the holo screen across the room. He feels more relaxed now that he’s showered. And he's pretty tired after his heart to heart with Shiro, which was, admittedly, not as humiliating as he expected it to be. He hopes he'll be able to catch some nightmare-less sleep tonight. And he yawns, sitting back with his arms crossed behind his head, when her sudden dulcet voice gives him a second wind.

"Ah, there you are!"

Keith’s heart jerks in his chest when he hears it.

And he sits up right, turning to see Allura walking into the room carefully smoothing down her hair. 

"I'd been searching the castle for you," she tells him. "Um. Shiro had requested that I let you know you left your bayard behind on the training deck."

"Oh. Well, here I am. And uh thank you."

Allura nods and looks over at the holoscreen. Keith is watching one of her mother's old documentaries with the sound turned off. Altean subtitles flicker across the screen. "Yes. Here you are. But wouldn't you rather be with the other Paladins playing Earth games?”

Keith looks at the holoscreen too. "Yeah, uh. I'm pretty tired already. I might just go to bed."

"Oh."

"I just ... I need to be alone sometimes, you know."

"Oh. I see." Allura looks at her fingers running through her hair. "You do say rather often that you prefer the peace and quiet.”

Keith nods. "Sometimes, yeah."

"I was rather bored out there. I did not wish to disturb you."

He turns to her and shakes his head, the towel he forgot he still has on top of his hair falling over his eyes a bit. He practically tears it off and drops it at his side. "No it's okay. You can stay if you want. I mean." He clears his throat. "This is uh, your home after all."

Allura smiles and hops onto the couch beside him. "Yes. That is true. Scoot over."

Keith makes room for her, but she sits close anyway.

He runs a hand over his head.

"Can you even read these subtitles?" Allura asks him.

Keith looks up again. "Ah ... no. But there really wasn't ... anything else to watch. I don't know. It looked interesting I guess."

Allura hums a bit. Her mother used to think so as well. Even if she never much found the appeal in nature documentaries. Sometimes thinking about her mother felt like thinking about an old friend she barely knew, and was still trying to understand. Maybe she should feel upset that Keith was watching her old documentaries. Or at least feel something at all.

But she doesn't.

"You find realistic matters to be more interesting than whimsical ones," she concludes eventually, speaking to Keith. But also thinking of her mother. Allura is more like her father, more curious about holographic little Human princesses named 'Peach' than films like this.

"I guess," Keith shrugs. "Real life always has something ... interesting to look at," he says, glancing at the Princess. "Like places. And people. Things like that."

"Oh." Allura lifts her chin. "I love interesting people," she says. "Most Alteans were interesting people. My father was a very interesting person. As is Coran." She smiles. "And you Earthlings are some of the most interesting people I've met in my short life."

Keith laughs a bit. "I’m sure we are." He looks at her. "You too."

"Hm?"

"You're ... an interesting Altean, too."

Allura looks at him. And Keith looks so soft in the lighting coming off the holoscreen.

His hair falls perfectly around his face, a faint scent of mint and soap coming off of him.

A stark contrast to the Red Paladin Allura normally sees on the battle field from the castle-ship, slaughtering enemies up and down.

"What is interesting about me?” she asks, feigning offense. "I'd like to think I’m the only normal one aboard this ship."

"Yeah." Keith laughs. "I wouldn't say that. I mean." His voice drops. "What isn't interesting about you Allura?"

"But what _is_ interesting?" She turns to face him. Intrigued. "And do not say 'everything.'"

Keith blinks. "Okay well. You're really smart, for one thing. You know a lot about a lot of things. Like about different cultures, and philosophies ... and ... and you're brave. Always really really brave. And you care a lot about other people." He shrugs. "And ... and you’re beautiful," he adds quietly.

Allura laughs. "Beautiful?" She leans closer to him, raising her brow curiously. "That is not very interesting. Is it?"

"I think it is?" Keith studies her face. "Very interesting. One of the most interesting."

Allura rolls her eyes. "Hmm. Alright." She sits back again. "Well. Are you not wondering what I find interesting?"

"I wasn't done talking about how interesting you are to me?"

"That is boring. It is my turn."

Keith smirks. "Okay. I'll bite." He crosses his arms. "What do you find interesting, Allura?"

"You."

Keith pauses. If the ache in his chest gets any sharper he might just die.

"You didn't have to be so honest," he tells her softly.

"I cannot seem to help it? You are rather a strange being."

"Strange?"

"Very."

"What ... is so strange about me?"

Allura studies him. And everywhere her eyes land on his body, Keith can feel start to burn. He nearly asks her to stop. 

"Hm. I'd have to do more research before I can answer you that," Allura tells him after a minute. 

"Research?"

"You know. When you are interesting in a matter, you inspect it up close. Conduct a reconnaissance."

"So. What. Are you saying you want to inspect me up close?"

Allura's voice is faint. Up to this point she'd never looked at him so shyly. "May I?"

Keith doesn’t dare imagine where she is going with this.

He just nods.

And he lets Allura move even closer to him.

Allura places a small hand on his chest, and feels his heartbeat. His heart is kicking so fast it might burst. And the softness of her dainty fingers splayed across his shirt only makes it worse. 

"Don't," Keith mutters softly.

His hand reluctantly brushes her away and Allura pulls back immediately.

"I am sorry," she says. Keith doesn't look at her. "Do you want me to stop?"

He looks at her then. And shakes his head carefully. Swallowing a lump in his throat. 

"I just don’t know where you’re going with this."

Allura looks Keith in his eyes. "Neither do I," she says, her voice so fragile it only burns him up even more. He wonders briefly if she's ever done anything like this before. It doesn't seem like it judging by the bright curiosity in her eyes. Maybe, he thinks, she does merely wish to inspect him. "I won't hurt you ... I promise."

He believes her. But he isn't worried about that. "Alright ... You can go ahead."

Allura seems emboldened. And she gently touches his face with the edge of her fingers. Her hand shakes, just a little. But Keith raises his own hand over hers to keep it still against his jaw. His hand covers Allura's completely. Perfectly. Her fingers barely stretch outside of his palm. And Keith holds Allura's hand firmly in place.

Allura inches toward him a bit more and leans closer. The tip of her nose is touches Keith's.

They're trading breaths and he can barely stand much more of this.

"Too close?" Allura asks. 

Keith shakes his head. "No," he replies.

So Allura turns her chin a bit, easing in even more. And her soft lips brush against Keith’s slightly ... but then she pulls them away just as fast. The buzz on her mouth takes her by surprise.

Keith opens his eyes. "Still not too close," he assures her.

"No?"

He shakes his head. "No."

And so Allura touches his lips with hers again. And this time Keith hums faintly against her mouth. Closes his eyes.

Allura smiles a bit, liking the sparkle she feels on her lips. The taste of Keith's.

And then Keith starts kissing her right back.

Carefully at first, like he's afraid he might hurt her. Holding her chin gently with his hand. Moving his mouth against hers slowly.

His mouth is so much softer than Allura expected. But somewhat chapped and rough at the same time. Allura tilts her chin even more, and wraps her arms around Keith's neck. She shifts so that her body is nearly pressing up against his.

And then his mouth isn't moving so slowly anymore.

Allura kisses him one more time, and Keith responds by letting his hands fall to her waist. Then he really starts kissing her. And kissing her and kissing her. Tenderly and longingly. Drinking her in and drowning in her. Like he'd done this before and had just been waiting and waiting to do it again.

His hums get a little rougher. He furrows his brows. Almost bites her.

And Allura has to pull away for a second.

She breathes. And she rests her hands on his chest and looks at him, her starry eyes a little dazed.

Keith breathes too, opening his eyes, and stares back at her. 

"...Sorry," he tells her quietly, after a moment. 

But, Allura only kisses him back again. Softly and slowly like they'd started.

"For what?" she asks in a whisper, right against his mouth. 

Keith clenches his jaw and shuts his eyes. He resists the urge to dive back in for a moment. "Um. I ... can I ask you something?"

Allura looks at him. "Yes?"

He pouts a little. "Do you like me?"

Allura blinks a few times at Keith, the guy currently holding her in his arms alone and late at night. "What?"

He bites his lip a bit. "I was just ... wondering?"

Allura looks at him. Then she laughs very faintly. "Yes. I like you." She lowers her lashes. Her fingers trace along his heart. "You are strange. And I really like you."

Keith smiles. Relieved. "I still don't think I'm that strange."

"But I like strange."

"Never mind. I'm very strange."

Allura wrinkles her nose a bit as she laughs. Keith starts to kiss her again, but this time she's the one who resists. "Well, now I have to ask. Do you like me?"

Keith is quiet for a moment. "Yes."

Allura squints at him. "You hesitated."

"I was trying to think of a word that means more than yes."

"Oh. Hmm." Allura thinks. "Well what about _absolutely_?"

Keith shakes his head a bit. "Not enough."

Allura tilts her head to the side, starts whispering words against his mouth. " _Unquestionably? Undoubtedly? Surely? Certainly? Very much so?_ "

Keith just keeps shaking his head. Slowly. And letting her guess.

Allura pouts a bit. "Well, I'm all out of words."

"Guess the word just hasn't been invented yet."

Allura pouts even more. "Yes. But I want an accurate answer. For my research."

Keith nods. Like he's thinking about this seriously. "Okay. Try me again."

"It is not exactly an easy question to ask."

"Just try me."

Allura sighs. "Keith ... do you like me?"

"Yes," he says, much more quickly this time. And his mouth is against Allura's again, trying to translate every version of the word that he can by touch alone. " _Unquestionably undoubtedly_ ," he adds, his voice a soft rasp. "And uh ... whatever the other ones were as well."

Allura laughs. Her mouth is sparkling like fireworks.

"You're strange. And I really like you too," he adds.

Allura smiles softly, nuzzling her face against his. "I’m so glad."


End file.
